Kenneth went to bed that night firmly resolved to accompany the sheriff when he set out to arrest Martin Hawk. Zachariah had instructions to call him at daybreak and to have breakfast ready on the dot. No doubt the posse would start about sunrise,--in any case, he would be up and prepared to take to his saddle the instant he saw his neighbour leaving her house. The thunderstorm came rollicking down the valley, crashed and rolled and roared for half an hour or so, and then stole mumbling away in the night, leaving in its wake a sighing wind and the drip of forsaken raindrops. He was astir at cockcrow. The first faint glow of red in the greying east found him at breakfast, with Zachariah sleepily serving him with hot corn-cakes, lean side-meat and coffee. "Take plenty dis yere hot coffee, Marse Kenneth," urged Zachariah, at the end of a prodigious yawn. "Yo' all gwine need sumpin to keep yo' 'wake, suh, so's yo' won't fall out'n de saddle. Dis yere--" "Speaking of saddles, have you fed Brandy Boy?" "Yas, suh. Ah dunno as Ah evah see a hoss mo' took by 'stonishment dan he wuz when Ah step brisk-like into his stall an' sez 'Doggone yo', Brandy Boy, don't yo' know de sun's gwine to be up in less'n two hours? Wha' fo' is yo' keepin' me an' Marse Kenneth waitin' lak dis? Git ep dar, yo' lazy, good-fer-nuffin,--'" "And what did Brandy Boy say in response to that?" broke in his master, airily. "How dat, suh?" "Did he reply in courteous terms or was he testy and out of sorts? Now, just what DID he say?" Zachariah stared at the speaker in some uneasiness. "Ah reckon yo' all better go on back to bed, suh, an' lemme call yo' when yo' is wide awake. Ain' no sense in yo' startin' off on dis yere hossback ride when yo' is still enjoyin' setch a good night's sleep. No, SUH!" "I will take another cup of your excellent coffee, Zachariah. That will make three, won't it?" Zachariah shuffled over to the stove, muttering as he lifted the coffee pot: "Fust Ah is seein' things in de evenin' an' den Ah hears all dis yere talk 'bout a hoss SAYIN' things in de mornin',--Yas, suh,--yas, SUH! Comin' right along, suh. Little mo' side-meat, suh?" "Take a peep out of the window and see if any one is stirring over at Mrs. Gwyn's." "'Pears lak Ah c'n see a lady out in de front yard, suh," said Zachariah, at the window. "You don't say so! Is it Mrs. Gwyn?" cried Kenneth, hastily gulping his coffee as he pushed his chair back from the table. "Hit ain' light enough fo' to see--" "Run out and saddle Brandy Boy at once, and be quick about it." "No, suh, hit ain' Mrs. Gwyn. Hit's Miss Violy. 'Pears lak she comin' over here, suh. Leastwise she come out'n de gate kind o' fast-like,--gotten a shawl wrap aroun'--"